【Hole in law (2020) Watch online】

Even though Snapchat tends to get lumped in with other social platforms,Hole in law (2020) Watch online it's never really been much of a social network -- until now.

While Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and the like thrive off the vast amounts of (often public) frenetic sharing that happens on their networks each day, Snapchat has made no secret that its users turn to it for a different type of interaction.

SEE ALSO: Snapchat is on a crusade to show why it's better than Facebook (hint: size isn't everything)

Rather than the megaphone of Twitter or the popularity contest that's Instagram, Snap has prided itself on the large volume of private sharing it sees, its users' "creativity" and the fact that its app enables a kind of authenticity not found elsewhere on social media.

Snapchat has embraced this with an app that's been far more closed off than any of its counterparts. Until Stories launched in 2013, there was no way at all for users to publicly share any updates at all and even then the feature got off to a slow start. The app eschewed other common "social" features, too.

While select publishers (including Mashable) can produce content for Discover, and advertisers can sell ads in Discover or between Stories, the company has done little to court influencers and smaller outfits. Snapchat still lacks a formal verification system, other than the emoji-based "official stories" that's still reserved for the app's biggest names.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

But if Snapchat is still embracing its role as the anti-social network social network, you wouldn't know it from its recent updates. On Wednesday, the company announced that it would allow anyone to share links within any snap they share with friends or post to their Story.

That may not sound like a huge change in itself but it stands to be hugely significant to brands, publishers, and any influencer not well-known enough to be verified or part of Discover. On a philosophical level, it also raises questions about whether Snap is finally starting to admit that it is, in fact, a real social media company after all (despite Spiegel's insistence that Snap is "a camera company").

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Just look at Snap Maps, another recently launched feature that would have once been unthinkable for the company run by the notoriously private Evan Spiegel. The feature, which essentially allows any of your friends to know your exact whereabouts and who you are with at any given time (you can opt out, too), is a far cry from Snapchat's roots as a private messaging app for teens sharing naughty photos.

Creepy as it is though, Snap Maps serves an important purpose to the company. It makes it easier than ever for users -- and advertisers for that matter -- to actually find all that public-facing content Snapchat 166 million daily users are making each day.

Yes, some of this could be explained away as the natural evolution of a newly public company now faced with meeting investor expectations. Even so, it's difficult to not see these types of changes as part of a bigger shift toward becoming just like every other social network.

And that's not necessarily a bad thing, by the way. Just look at how much Instagram has grown since deciding to take on Snapchat in earnest.

Whether Snap will be similarly successful is another matter. What is clear, though, is that there is a transformation underway.

---

Featured Video For You

---

Someone has reinvented the surfboard, and it can 'fly' on water

---

Topics Snapchat Social Media

• Games
• Social Good
• Digital Culture
• Life
• Deals
• Science
• Shopping
• Entertainment

• The cicadas aren't invading the U.S.
• The 50 most stellar graduation caps of 2017
• Xbox reveals a gorgeous slate of games coming to Series X: Trailers
• An iOS glitch for the Instagram app lets users post really long photos
• The Mismeasure of Media
• DEF CON is actually, for real, not a joke canceled
• Hillary Clinton is back and wants you to 'resist'
• Yeast scientist has some bad news about your sourdough starter
• No Time for a Negative Peace
• The 17 best movie kisses we'll never forget

• ‘NCIS’ showrunner Gary Glasberg dies at 50
• Why Richard Branson's company is making employees take a 'digital detox'
• The rise of Pepe the Frog is another sign of hate festering online
• Robo's smart new 3D printer makes the technology more affordable and easy to use
• Friendly American just wants Londoners to chat on the Tube
• Angry dad writes hilarious note on his son's mail
• Australia is way ahead of the U.S. in banking, but now risks falling behind
• How Congressmen are celebrating their grilling of Wells Fargo CEO
• iPhone 8 sounds like it'll share design similarities with the iPhone 4
• Ryder Cup heckler pulled onto green to prove himself, sinks 12

• Trump's DEI keyword crusade hits the country's defense archives
• Trump finally tweets (and promptly deletes) a unifying message
• What is the best Harry Potter book?: Pop Culture Throwdown
• 2 hidden details in 'The Office' you've probably never noticed
• Sony launches new flagship XM6 headphones: Order them now
• Andy Serkis is reading 'The Hobbit' aloud for 12 hours and you can stream it
• An iOS glitch for the Instagram app lets users post really long photos
• How to help struggling restaurants and feed hungry hospital staff
• Best tablet deal: Save $45 on Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet
• 14 films and TV shows 'The Simpsons' perfectly predicted

• Adrien Brody wins Best Actor for 'The Brutalist' at the 2025 Oscars
• WHO is working on an app with coronavirus information and, maybe, contact tracing
• Xbox reveals a gorgeous slate of games coming to Series X: Trailers
• Andy Serkis is reading 'The Hobbit' aloud for 12 hours and you can stream it
• Samsung The Frame deal: Get up to 40% off at Samsung
• Xbox reveals a gorgeous slate of games coming to Series X: Trailers
• Dude almost flips directly into oncoming traffic and Twitter is shook
• The 50 most stellar graduation caps of 2017
• Best grocery deal: Spend $20 and get $5 off at Amazon
• The 50 most stellar graduation caps of 2017